After school, I made my way home, thoughts of the upcoming tasks swirling in my mind. I carefully placed my bag in the spot I always reserved for it and took a deep breath. Today, I had decided to finish my homework before meeting up with the guys. This way, I would avoid stress in the evening and could fully enjoy my time with them.
Math and physics were quickly done. I had prepared well, and the assignments seemed easier to tackle today than usual. Feeling satisfied, I soon set off for Quil's house, the meeting point we had established.
As I stepped through the door, I immediately noticed the relaxed atmosphere in the room. Seth and Jared were already there, and Quil, who had opened the door for me, joined them on the couch. The three seemed engrossed in an exciting game on the TV. The sounds of the game filled the room, and I could hear that Jared was currently in the lead, while Seth seemed a bit frustrated.
I was just about to join the guys when the doorbell rang again. "I can get it!" I called out to Quil. He gave me a thumbs-up but didnât respond further to my announcement. I shrugged and headed towards the front door.
A grinning Paul stood before me, making my heart skip a beat. The butterflies in my stomach stirred violently, and I couldn't help but wonder if these feelings were truly my own or if imprinting played a role. Someday I would ask Paul about it. But for now, I simply enjoyed this positive moment, because no matter where they came from, these feelings were real.
We settled down on the couch next to the other guys. There was no need for much conversation. We leaned against each other and waited relaxed for something to happen. The silence was pleasant, allowing me to fully enjoy the presence of the guys.
"So, what do we want to do today?" Seth finally broke the silence after they finished their game. He looked a bit down since he had lost the round, but his good mood quickly returned as he asked the question.
"The weather is really nice. Little wind and it's dry," Quil said, looking out the window as if he were taking in the nature around us. "We could go cliff diving. We haven't done that in a while." At these words, the faces of Jared, Seth, and Quil lit up, and I felt a wave of excitement wash over the group. Paul, however, appeared tense and looked at me with a furrowed brow.
"I don't knowâ¦" Paul said thoughtfully, and the others looked at him in confusion. But when they saw his worried expression, it quickly became clear to them that it was more than just a simple uncertainty.
"You know we would never let anything happen to Mary. Besides, you're coming too. So nothing can happen to her," Jared replied in a soothing tone. He seemed to know how to calm Paul down. Whether it was because he was also imprinted or simply because he had known Paul for a long time remained uncertain to me.
I smiled reassuringly at Paul, and it seemed to work. His furrowed brow smoothed out, and I could see him relax a bit. "I would just be watching anyway. I think the height is only for me from a distance." These words seemed to convince him, and Paul finally nodded in agreement.
We decided to walk to the cliffs. While the guys strolled up the path casually and relaxed, I felt a bit unathletic. Even though I was aware that their stamina was partly due to their inner wolves, I was still a little disappointed in myself. Paul stayed by my side the entire hike, making sure that the group's pace matched mine. This did little to alleviate my frustration, but I was grateful for his thoughtfulness and his jokes, which noticeably lifted my spirits.
"Where's the rest of the group?" I asked during a quiet moment, slightly out of breath and probably with a red face.
"Jake and Sam are on patrol. They're currently circling La Push, looking for intruders," Paul explained, and I noticed the tension in his voice.
"Leah didn't feel like it," Seth chimed in shortly after. He fell back a bit and now walked at the same level as Paul and me. Jared turned around and replied while walking backward. Show-off, I thought with a smile.
"Kim has a test tomorrow and decided she wanted to study today. She's really diligent," he said with visible affection before adding shyly, "unfortunately, I distract her from studying too often. So sometimes she's glad when I leave her alone to study."
I listened to him and imagined Kim sitting at a table with a stack of books while Jared distracted her with his jokes. It was comforting to know that they all had their own challenges.
The sun shone warmly on our faces as we finally reached the cliffs. The view was breathtaking every time, because even though I had grown up in La Push, I rarely came up here to the cliffs.
The sun beamed down on us as we finally reached the cliffs. The sight before us was breathtaking yet again. Even though I grew up in La Push, I seldom made it up here to the cliffs. The ocean stretched out in a sparkling blue to the horizon, and the waves gently crashed against the rocks while the spray shot into the air. The fresh sea breeze tousled my hair and brought with it the salty scent of the water. It was a moment of wonder that made me forget everything else for a moment. In that instant, I felt alive and free.